Co-habitation disputes

The number of unmarried couples living together in the UK has doubled from 1.5m in 1996 to 3.3m in 2017. Despite this there remains a strong misunderstanding about the rights available to those couples should their relationships unfortunately come to an end.

It was recently reported that two-thirds of people in co-habiting relationships are unaware that there is no such thing as ‘common-law marriage’ in the UK. There are in fact no specific laws that regulate the distribution of the assets of unmarried couples upon separation.

If your co-habiting relationship has come to an end we are able to advise you on all options that may be available to you. If you have children, we can advise you of all options available to you including a claim for financial provision for your children under Schedule 1 of the Children Act (1989), which may provide for payment for your child’s housing, school fees and maintenance.

Many people are also concerned to discover that despite living in and contributing to a property owned by their partner, they may have no legal interest in the property at the conclusion of their relationship. We can advise on all elements of claims under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act (1996) if such a situation applies to you.

Our expert team can offer advice on:

Cohabitation agreements;

Claims under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act (1996) (also known as TLATA);

We encourage you to contact us in the first instance if you are unhappy with the service you receive from us. Contact John O’Callaghan, the complaints partner at j.ocallaghan@rfblegal.co.uk; alternatively in some circumstances you may be able to make use of the ODR platform.